El amor todo lo puede
by homesickthug
Summary: Eric and Calleigh and off the clock, extracurricular, CSI training activities. And an inconspicuous DOA.
1. Chapter 1

Translation: _Love Will Find A Way_

AN: Set a couple episodes after Eric returns to work from his shooting in season 5. Canon EXCEPT for 1) Walter Simmons _is_ apart of the team because I like him, but he does not play a big role.

She crawled into bed with him in nothing but her own skin and a whole lot of lust and desire. Tonight she felt her sheets rather than his, but it didn't matter one way or another, she didn't feel at home without him anyways. She tossed an arm over his chest, snuggling up to him. His warmth radiated against her skin and he left a soft kiss on her forehead, "I wanna make you feel good," he whispered, his fingers stroking through her hair, playing with the the soft strands between his fingers.

"You already have," she mumbled, kissing his chest and tracing invisible patterns along his warm skin. She loved the feel of him, loved hearing his heartbeat, loved his smell and his warmth, and the way her breathing always seemed to fall in tune with his.

He smiled, though in the dark room she couldn't see it, she could feel his lips curve against her forehead, "I know," he paused reaching for her so their lips could connect, "but I wanna do it over and over and over again."

He tipped her lips to his, one hand holding the back of her head in place, the other skimming down and under the sheets, finding the warm skin of her belly and the hot skin between her thighs. At one brush of his fingers she whimpered his name, "Eric."

He chuckled a little, kissing her deeply while his fingers brushed against her again, in slow, soft circles, teasing her. That was always his favorite part, even at 2AM in the middle of the night when she got up for a glass of water. Even before their relationship went well beyond the physical bounds of friends and coworkers(let's be real here, their emotional connection always blurred the lines between friendship and something more), she knew that Eric Delko was indeed a tease. It's like he got the same pleasure of giving that she did from getting. The way her cheeks flushed, the way her hair fell flustered around her, the way her breathing became ragged, and her eyes darkened with pleasure and eventually closed entirely from the majestic things his fingers could do.

At work he was always meticulous, his hands always swift and careful with evidence, his fingers keeping intact even the smallest of details on fingerprints or DNA or anything he may have been processing. And the first time Calleigh saw the careful and meticulous way he lifted a print from a kicked in door, she had no doubt in her mind that his technique and the careful skills he mastered went far beyond the walls of the crime lab.

He'd shuffle between soft strokes, moving from opening to clit and back down, tracing his path over and over until she was panting. And then he'd run his thumb in circles, hard against her, his index and middle finger finding their way to the deep tunnel inside her. He'd move his fingers with a gentle grace in her, his thumb planted on her center while his lips traced a path down to her breast. And when she'd start to moan, when her eyes began to close and her mouth fell ajar, his fingers would pick up speed and the soft rhythm he'd built would become more and more intense. And when his name fell of her lips, his thumb on her center would work harder, his fingers working faster and faster. He wanted to know how good it felt, wanted to hear her say it.

Pleasure was radiating through her, setting off every nerve ending and running through her veins and it was too much but not enough all at once. He knew she was close, could feel her walls clenching against his fingers, could feel her heartbeat pick up even more. And if anything, he'd take watching her come, knowing he was the one to do that to her, to unravel her and peel down all her layers to see her intimate core, over actually coming himself.

"That's it," he whispered,"you're so beautiful."

A third finger curled inside her and his mouth was on the move, leaving butterfly kisses around her areola, and refusing to indulge her tight peeks until he knew she was about to fall over the edge. His one free hand made its way to her other breast, rolling her nipple and all she could do was moan his name over and over and over again, and that was always enough to make Eric hard as a rock. Yet he somehow always found the strength to push his own desire aside to pleasure her, granted though, he _loved_ seeing her unravel and flood into a puddle of satisfaction, knowing his name was the only one she could remember.

His fingers continued moving in and out of her, curling and hitting her just right and she kept moaning and moaning until she somehow found the capacity to formulate a sentence.

"Eric I want you," and it was always that simple with her, that's all she ever had to say.

His lips were back on hers, soft and languid and he tossed aside the sheet between them to hover over her, one hand knotted in her hair, the other moving from wet folds to a bare breast.

He was always gentle and slow with her, always made sure to take his time, to do things right.

And she'd never expected that from Eric, and sure he is pretty... adorable..., but she'd never expected him to be this tender, this delicate. But he always was, always took the time to ravish her and kiss every patch of skin he could find. And at one point he'd told her that he was saving this kind of _love making_ for someone special.

Calleigh had never been into slow and sensual sex... at least until their first time, which was exactly that. It had been after the shooting when he was released from the hospital. She'd taken him home, refused to let him be alone, and one thing lead to another. His grief for realizing he almost lost his life and followed his sister, plus her blatant fear of almost losing him and how she honestly didn't know what she'd do without him, when mixed lead to a long hug which lead to a kiss followed by touching and feeling and eventually thrusting and moaning. And ever since then, ever since the realization that she could lose him at anytime, she refused to let him go. And _making love_ was one of the many ways they used to stay connected to one another. To be as close as physically possible. Slow and passionate and tender and she would do anything to have him inside her, to be one with him.

He nipped at her lower lip and guided his length to her entrance, brushing against her clit for a moment making her moan that heart clenching, soft, seductive moan that made him dizzy with desire, and entered her, his forearms shaking while he tried to hold out, because every time with Calleigh was different, and it didn't matter how many times he'd been inside her, it was always good, so good and he needed to pace himself so he could last. But she was having none of that, he had already brought her so close to the edge, she was almost there, he was almost there, and the _best_ part of their sex was always coming together; it brought them closer, both physically and emotionally.

Her hands felt down the warm muscles of his toned back, contours she'd memorized. Her fingers found their way to his bottom and she dug her nails there, urging him to go deeper, faster. And he did, taking a breath, his lips back on hers, he pumped in and out, in and out, like he had so many times before but each time was sensual and exquisite and he let his lips fall on hers, kissing her, and when she moaned he moved his tongue swift into the haven of her mouth. And god, he loved everything about this woman. The feel of her skin, the way she moaned his name, the warmth of being inside her, her compassion, her intelligence, every single thing down to the chipped nail polish on her little toe; she was absolute perfection to him. He loved her, and she loved him, it was simple, raw and beautiful. The way it was meant to be. And when he came, her name fell off his lips at the same time his fell off hers. And she loved when he stayed tucked inside her after the waves of their orgasm steadied, loved being connected with him. And when he pulled out, she curled right back up to him, the sheet tossed over them and she whispered that she loved him and he told her he loved her too. It was simple and easy. The way they'd always been with each other.


	2. Chapter 2

When a knock on the front door vibrated through Calleigh's apartment, she stirred against Eric, but he told her that he'd get it. She told him it was probably one of the neighbors and curled herself over his pillow to make up for his lost warmth. He kissed her forehead, and smiled at her. Her hair tangled in different directions over the pillows, the single sheet that was covering the two of them lay just below her breast, the smile she wore when she took in his smell, and the glow. She was always glowing, And god, could he be anymore in love with her?

The knocking continued and he tossed on a pair of yesterday's jeans and answered the door. And in his sleepy state he hadn't really registered anything _but_ the knocking, let alone the owner of the voice yelling, "Hey Cal you in there?"

It was early, and he was tired, so when he opened the door he hadn't bothered to look through the peephole, quickly regretting that, once he recognized the asshole that decided to wake them at this hour after a long, _exhausting_ night.

"Ryan?" he asked nervously, realizing how this must have look, answering the door in nothing but a pair of blue jeans, swollen lips, a bare chest that was definitely covered in scratches and probably bite marks and possibly bruises and- why the hell was Ryan here in the first place? And what time was it?

Ryan tilted his head, "Eric?"

And Jesus he hoped that this was a dream or he was imagining things, but that was indeed not the case.

And to make matters even more compromising, Calleigh was still in a sleepy, sedated daze and figured that whoever was at the door at this godly hour was probably gone by now, or else Eric would have said something, so when she crossed out of the threshold of her bedroom in nothing but Eric's button up dress shirt from the night before, calling out in a sleepy yet satisfied voice that she was making coffee, only then did she catch a glimpse of Ryan through the crack of her frontdoor.

Ryan tilted his head to the opposite shoulder, "Calleigh?"

And then Tripps voice filled the atmosphere, and it was far far _far_ too early to have to deal with this, "Ryan did Calleigh say she saw anything," and it was over for them, Eric grasped Ryan and pulled him into the apartment, closing and locking the door behind him before anyone else got a glimpse at their failed attempt of keeping their budding yet forbidden secret(okay not _that_ secret) romance behind closed doors.

"Oww Eric," Ryan frowned.

And Cal hadn't heard Ryan call her name but she did hear the sharp slam of the door and Ryan's ripe gasp of pain. Her eyes widen and she peaked out of the kitchen, her arms crossed over her, Eric's shirt _barely_ covering midthigh.

"Ryan what are you _doing_ here?"

"You guys didn't hear a gunshot last night?"

Eric looked at him like he was mad, and at that, regardless of how incriminating the two looked Calleigh stepped out of the kitchen and faced Ryan, her brows knitted with confusion. She glanced to Eric then to Ryan, "what are you talking about?"

Ryan looked at the two like they were stupid, "down the hall, your neighbor was shot, you didn't hear that?"

Both Eric and Calleigh shook their heads and Ryan scoffed, "you serious?"

"Ryan do we _look_ like we heard a gunshot?"

Ryan bit his lip, refraining from a witty comeback, but the obvious tension in the room was becoming a bit uncomfortable for everyone.

"Eric stop," Cal said, and Ryan sure as hell didn't know where to put his eyes while his two coworkers were in their current state of undress.

"Ryan," Calleigh continued, and he wasn't sure where to look so he kept his eyes averted, "Eric," she said looking to him and she shook her head, her hair falling in waves over her shoulder and why did she have to look so sexy right now? With Ryan in the room? And fine, Eric may have felt a tiny bit smug at the fact that Ryan saw her in _his_ shirt, but regardless why? Why did some killer have to ruin their morning?

"Look, I'll get coffee, Ryan just tell Eric what happened."

Eric took a seat on the couch next to Ryan, his head in his hands while Ryan watched him carefully.

"One of the neighbors down the hall got shot," Ryan repeated.

Eric nodded, "yea, we didn't hear anything." He let out a long sigh, "sorry for snapping at you."  
Ryan shrugged, "I really don't blame you."  
"Who all is out in the hall?"

"Right now Walter and Natalia are processing while Frank and I are finding witnesses. H is at Jackson Memorial with the wife."

Eric sighed, "shit."

Ryan put a comforting hand on his shoulder, the heat of Eric's skin contrasting entirely with the cool feel of Ryan's hand, and Ryan _really_ didn't want to think about _why_ Eric's skin was so feverish, but there were many things about the situation at hand that he didn't want to think about, including the deep red scratch marks that paved over his shoulders and along his ribs. Cal emerged with three cups of coffee, having changed into an old MDPD shirt and some sweats and sat next to Eric, her legs crossed, "Ryan what happened."

"You know Ms Sulliven?" he asked.

Calleigh shrugged, "I've seen her, said hi in the hall a few times but never got to know her."

Ryan looked to Eric awkwardly, "and," took a breath and shook his head, "and I doubt you know her?"

Ryan wasn't sure how Eric would respond to that question, though he figured it probably wouldn't be good, but when he replied his voice was soft, "no I don't know any of Calleigh's neighbors."

"Right," Ryan said, looking between the two then moving to check his phone. "Guys," he said, "IAB is gonna be all over this and I'm not exactly sure how play this out. I can call Horatio and see what he wants me to do, but other than that I'm not exactly sure how to step into the hall without being questioned, let alone how the two of you are gonna find a way out of your apartment."

Eric sighed, thinking, "go tell Frank Calleigh didn't hear anything, and we'll figure it out from there."

Ryan nodded standing up, "Thanks for the coffee, and I'll see you guys at the lab depending on when they finish processing. It shouldn't take long though, it's not that big of a crime scene."

Calleigh nodded, "thanks Ryan."

He found his way out to the hall, consciously making sure no one could peek in, and Calleigh rested her head on Eric's shoulder. "We're so fucked."

Eric kissed her forehead, "nobody has to know anything. Ryan's not gonna say anything anyways and either way I could just tell them I crashed here, didn't wanna drive all the way home."

Calleigh smiled and laced her hand with his, "I think we would have heard a gunshot."

Eric nodded, "I know, and I mean you did scream pretty loud last night but I doubt it'd overpower gunfire," he chuckled.

She slapped his bicep while her cheeks began to flush "I did _not_ scream," she scolded.

He smiled at her playfully, "I don't know..."

When she looked up to him he caught her lips and she melted into his warm embrace, her hands finding their way to his chest. And they were totally fucked weren't they? She loved absolutely everything about this man, and she'd do whatever necessary to make sure nothing could change that.

"We need to get ready," she murmured.

He smiled against her lips, "mmm, maybe _you_ do, but I'm still stuck here until Walter and Natalia and our vic aren't in the hall anymore."  
She didn't respond, just kissed him, warm, lovingly. She could never get enough of him and half the time she needed to remind herself that she was a grown woman, not a preteen with a celebrity crush, but that did absolutely nothing to stop the butterflies that flew around her belly every time she was with him.

"You know," he breathed, tipping his head so their noses were brushing, "I like you a lot better in my shirt"

"Mmm," she purred, "I'm sure, but I don't know how our coworkers would feel about that."

He chuckled, moving his lips to the base of her throat, "I think they'd like it, but I don't want them getting any ideas..." he mumbled moving sneaky fingers to the hem of her worn MDPD police academy tee, his fingers barely touching silky skin while his mouth sucked at her pulse point.

She gasped and he chuckled while she scolded him, " _Eric!_ Ryan and Tripp and Natalia and Wal-" He cut off her sentence with a soft kiss while his fingers continued their descent beneath her shirt.

"The crime scene is in the _hallway_ not your apartment," he reasoned.

And she'd scold him if she could but now his fingers ghosted up her sides and glazed over a soft nipple. And again she gasped, and she could feel him smirk while he kissed his way back down her cheek and to her neck. She should have stopped them, she _really_ should have stopped him but he was rolling her nipple now and she let her head fall to the side while he sucked at her skin, his tongue and teeth carefully adding to the mix.

"Fuck Eric,"

And he chuckled at that, his hands moving down past her belly to the waist of her sweats, slowly sneaking fingers beneath the elastic and-

"Hey Calleigh," Frank's voice, along with a light knock and a slight creak of the door opening echoed through the room. In the background you could hear Ryan's faint "Frank wait," rumble through the hallway but apparently he hadn't registered what he'd meant until the door was slightly ajar and peeked in to find Eric pushing himself away from Calleigh while her head fell back against the sofa, groaning.

Frank's eyes widened, "oh uh Delko- uh right. Uh Ne-nevermind Cal," he stuttered, closing the door, Walters questioning "Delko?" loud enough to breeze in from the hall.

Eric's hand was over his forehead, "90 miles from Cuba yet Miami missed out on southern hospitality"

Calleigh half sighed, half groaned, "looks like you're _not_ stuck here until the crime scene clears."

"Shower?" he asked.

Calleigh quirked an eyebrow, "don't know if I want Tripp walking in on us..."

Eric smirked devilishly glancing at her, then the door and back to her again. He stood up and walked the few feet to the door, glancing back at her while locking the two deadlocks, the heavy noise of the bolts echoing through her apartment.

"You know," she chuckled, "that lock is pretty loud... they're gonna know what we're up to..."

He grinned walking back to where she sat on the couch and grabbing her hand, "mmh, I think they've already figured it out by now," his lips landed on hers, the pad of his thumb rubbing warm skin just above the hem of her pants.

And of course, without missing a beat, both of their phones went off, as if anything else could ruin moment.

" _Mierda,_ " Eric cursed and Calleigh chuckled, leaving a soft kiss before picking up her phone.

"It's from Ryan," she said while Eric checked his own.

"Yea, he said we need to hurry up, Horatio wants to get to us before Stetler does."

Eric sighed, setting his phone back on the table and walking towards her, his hands falling on her hips, "we'll need to postpone that shower," he murmured, his lips resting on her forehead.

"Mmh," she hummed, her arms wrapping around his waist, " _Definitely_ tonight."

* * *

Getting out of the apartment was nothing short of awkward and Calleigh _hated_ the fact that she couldn't stop blushing. She was a grown woman, there was nothing to be embarrassed about. So what if her coworkers caught her and Eric( _Eric,_ not Jake, not some other dude they didn't really know that well, but _Eric_ ) the morning after? And almost walked in on them beginning to _continue_ the activities from the night before? Grown woman or not, they'd both been caught, and it was embarrassing, so she kept her head down, refusing to make eye contact while Eric faced their coworkers.

Frank, for one, had that deer in the headlights look, and Calleigh glanced at him for only a second to try and figure out what exactly he might of seen, and she didn't catch his eyes but she'd already determined far far _far_ too much.

While the two stepped over the body, following Ryan to head to the precinct, Walter smirked at them and Natalia's expression mirrored that of Franks, and neither of them had any clue regarding how they were supposed to face their coworkers for here on out. Calleigh and Eric could never be found alone again together, on the clock or off the clock, without this very moment and their night adventures that nobody wanted to think of but were _forced_ to think of, cloaking the room in a layer of awkwardness that would forever haunt the two of them.

They both took separate cars, as if that would somehow help the situation at hand, leaving them both to sulk in embarrassment and involuntarily wonder what their coworkers were involuntarily wondering. And that made everything a hell of alot worse.

Once they arrived they were greeted by Horatio, who, from the looks of it, wasn't passing any judgment(but when did he ever?). He'd signaled for them to follow him inside the precinct to a spare room off to the side.

"Rick is getting ready to talk to Ryan," Horatio stated, sitting down across from Cal and Eric. "You two wanna tell me what happened?"

Eric glanced to Calleigh, who refused to make eye contact with Horatio, then back to H. "I crashed at Calleigh's place last night, woke up this morning and found Ryan saying there's a DB down the hall." Oh if only it were that simple.

"And neither of you knew her?" Horatio asked.

Eric looked to Calleigh, who met his eyes then looked back to Horatio, "I mean, neighbor stuff, we said hi in the elevator, that was about it."

"And you didn't hear a gunshot?"

They shook their heads in unison, and Calleigh was grateful that Eric was the one to answer the majority of the questions, because she could hardly face herself right now, let alone her boss.

"Alright, what happened when Ryan knocked on the door?"

Again, Eric glanced to Calleigh, making sure she didn't want to add anything before he continued, "I answered it, he told us there was a shooting down the hall, so I pulled him inside."

"And Calleigh," Horatio said glancing at her, "you were...?"  
"She was asleep, she was tired I didn't want to wake her up to get the door."

Calleigh nodded then looked to Horatio, "we really have no idea what happened."

"I know," Horatio said, "but Stetler is gonna wanna know how two MDPD Crime Scene Investigators weren't aware of a shooting a few yards away," Horatio stopped for a moment, choosing his words carefully, "Eric, why were you with Calleigh last night?"

Eric smiled, trying to be nonchalant but failing almost as bad as Calleigh in her attempt to hide her humiliation, "two coworkers can't be around each other off the clock?"

"Eric-" Calleigh looked to him and then Horatio, "Horatio what did Ryan tell you?"

He glanced out of the door window to find Ryan being pulled into another room with Stetler "Ryan told me he was greeted by Eric at the door, and when I asked what your demeanor was, Eric, he said you seemed... flustered at the news, and..."  
"And?" Calleigh asked.

"And the two of you had obviously been engaging in certain activities that go against the departments 'no fraternization' rule."

Calleigh turned crimson from her chest to her cheeks to her hairline while Eric spoke, "why is what may or may not have happened between Calleigh and I relevant in relation to this investigation?" At least someone was able to think, because Calleigh knew she'd have no chance in hell trying to separate her embarrassment from her logical side capable of thinking.

Horatio gave Calleigh a soft smile in an attempt to soothe her but it wound up making her feel even more mortified.

"Going against department policy while a commission of a crime is being committed, can in some cases be grounds for suspension," Horatio explained softly.

"Did Ryan say whether or not anyone else heard gunfire?" Eric asked.

Horatio shook his head, "nobody else did either, but regardless Stetler is going to want to talk to the two of you."  
"And then?" Calleigh asked, somehow finding the inner strength to articulate one of the fifty billion questions she had swimming through her.

"And then the situation will be moved to the review board."  
"H," Eric started, shaking his head, "I don't understand how internal affairs is going to investigate this. They can't prove anything happened between Calleigh and I, and even if they could, they can't dictate what happens outside of the work place."

"If IAB really wanted to, they could get a search warrant to find evidence, but I doubt it would go that far. Right now I think Rick is just abusing his power and trying to find anything that could question the professionalism of this lab."

It was silent for a moment, everyone in the room trying to digest what was happening. Is this real? Is Stetler really wasting his time trying to determine what happens in certain CSI's bedrooms? This went far far _far_ beyond pathetic, even for someone like Rick.

"What now?" Calleigh asked, anxious and tired and not in the mood to deal with anything right now.

"Once Ryan finishes his interview Frank will go next, then the two of you."

"Is he really interrogating half the team?" Eric asked.

Horatio nodded, "I'll do what I can, I already was able to get Natalia and Walter off the hook, so I'm not sure what else I can do" he then stood up, patting both Eric and Cal on the shoulder, "you two stay here, he'll come get you when he's ready."

He left and Calleigh's head fell on Eric's shoulder, "All they know is what they saw today, right?" She asked.

Eric nodded, "right."

"So that means that's _all_ he needs to know."

Eric glanced at her, laughing just a little in an attempt to soothe her, and covered her hand with his, "that'd be pretty bad timing. Our 'first time' and someone dies in the hallway."

Calleigh glanced out the window into the hallway, spotting Frank sitting nervously outside of the interrogation room.

"We'll be fine," she said, assuring herself more than Eric; he knew they'd be fine. He also knew Calleigh hated breaking protocol, but the both of them understood that when they _actually_ slept together for the first time, it most _definitely_ wouldn't be the last. All the sexual tension between them finally being released brought them so much closer than they already were, so Cal said fuck protocol because what happens behind closed doors between them in either of their bedrooms some miles away from the crime lab should not be associated with that of the lab or PD. How do they _really_ plan on dictating what can and can't go on in the privacy of their homes? It wasn't anyone's business but their own. It shouldn't have been anyways, but now it was and both her and Eric were fucked and she was becoming slowly apathetic to the situation, considering she didn't make any attempt to move out of the embrace when Stetler glanced at them through the window. What was the point? They'd already been caught red handed engaging in an embrace far worse than the simple yet tender one they were in now. If Stetler was gonna bring them down, at least they'd fall together.

Ryan sat across from Stetler, his arms over his chest while he leaned back in his chair, studying the man. He wasn't attractive in the slightest, and though he may be taller than Ryan(...well most people are), he still failed miserably in his attempt to intimidate. His god awful toupee was even worse than Donald Drumpf's, and for christ sake he'd been compared to fucking corn on the cob. His face was greasy and he had really _really_ bad breath. So no, Ryan wasn't planning on showing the man anymore respect than he absolutely had to.

"Would you care to tell me what happened this morning?" God did the bastard have to be so smug too? IAB workers are like leeches, they have no life of their own so they leech on to the personal lives of others, taking them down one by one to make up for their own lonely, pathetic lives. Fucking vultures.

"We got called around 7 AM to a crime scene. One DOA, apparent gunshot wound to the head."

"And this DOA happened to be in CSI Duquesne's apartment building?"

Ryan nodded, "that is correct, murder has a way of not isolating itself to one neighborhood in the city."

Stetler smirked, "and you and Tripp went to find witnesses?"

"Yep, nobody in the complex said or heard anything. Its likely that the perp used a silencer."  
"Mmhm," Rick flipped through some papers in front of him, "and what happened when you knocked on CSI Duquesne's door to get her statement? Were you greeted by her?"

Ryan cleared his throat before continuing, "No I was not."  
"And instead you were greeted by CSI Delko?"

"Yea."

"And how did he seem to you? Did he seem tense? Nervous?"

"I'd say he seemed a bit flabbergasted, considering there was a dead body and four of his coworkers in the hallway."

"So he wasn't nervous?"

"No, it looked like he'd just woken up"

"Did it look like he slept on the couch?"

Ryan shrugged, "I don't know where he may have slept, he answered the door, anything outside of that isn't anyone's business but theirs."

"And did you ever see CSI Duquesne?"

Ryan was cautious with his answer, choosing his words carefully, "yes... it looked as though she had just woken up as well."

"And what was her reaction when she saw you?"

"The same as Eric's, flabbergasted. And you can't blame either of them for that. Look I'm having a hard time understanding why we're focusing more on two dedicated CSI's than we are on finding a killer."  
"Because Mr Wolfe, that victim may have been very much alive if CSI Duquesne wasn't _preoccupied_ with another co worker."

"Who she was with or what she may have been doing wouldn't have made much of a difference, _nobody_ knew the vic had been killed."

"One way or another, two CSI's were breaking protocol while a crime was committed a few feet away. That's grounds for questions."  
Ryan quirked an eyebrow, "how do you know they were breaking protocol Stetler? Delko may have just crashed at Calleigh's place, you don't know what they may have or have _not_ been doing."

Stetler jotted something down then dropped his pen, "that's all Mr Wolfe, please send Detective Tripp in next."

Ryan nodded, his eyes wide with annoyance, "right."

When Frank entered and took the hot seat, he was far more uncomfortable than Ryan had been, and that caught Stetlers attention.

"Detective Tripp, is there something you wanna tell me?"

He looked at him like he was stupid, "like what?"

"Well, what happened this morning?"

"There was a murd-"

"I'm not talking about the murder, I'm talking about between CSI Delko and CSI Duquesne."

Tripp shrugged, "Delko spent the night with Calleigh, so what?"

"Two CSI's breaking protocol during the commission of a crime seems like a pretty big deal, don't you think?"

Again Tripp shrugged, "not really, depending on if they were actually breaking protocol and if it was related to the crime scene."

"Did you happen to see the two this morning, before they headed out of the apartment for work?"

He hesitated, not wanting to lie but sure as hell not wanting to tell the truth, "I did, uh see them," he said, "for a second."

"Tell me about that?"

Tripp chewed on his lip, "Ryan left the door unlocked so I knocked and slowly opened to uh ask her a question."  
"And...?" Stetler pushed.

"And I realized that was not a respectful thing to do, so I gave them back their privacy."

"But what were they doing, precisely?"  
He cleared his throat, "the two were sitting on the couch, sipping coffee."  
"They weren't _intimate_ in anyway?"

"You could uh," he cleared his throat again, "they were holding one another. But that's it."

"That's it huh?"

Tripp nodded, "yes." No. Not really. But Frank really didn't wanna think about Eric and his lips and fingers all over Calleigh and on her neck and under her shirt and- nope, nope, Frank would be ecstatic if he could just erase that snippet from his mind or bleach his eyeballs but he would just have to live with it. Didn't mean he had to fucking reiterate it to Stetler.

"Alright thank you."

When Stetler got up to head over to where Calleigh and Eric were, neither of the two bothered to break their embrace. There wasn't much point to it anyhow.

Calleigh spoke before Stetler got the chance to, "neither of us have any idea about what was going on in the hallway, and from my understanding nor did any other tenants in the building."

Stetler took a seat across from them, and though Calleigh was no longer laying her head on Eric's shoulder, his hand was still over hers beneath the table.

"Delko, why were you over at Duquesne's place?"

"Didn't want to drive all the way home last night. Is that a problem?"

Eric spotted Horatio hovering outside the door, ready to pounce at any minute if it became necessary. Gators always beat vultures.

"And what were the two of you doing?"

"Rick," Calleigh began, "I don't think that's any of your busin-"

"If the two of you weren't engaging in sexual acts then the vic may be very much alive."

Eric glared at him, "why don't you let us worry about catching the killer instead of nitpicking me and Calleigh's relationship alright?"

The door opened and Horatio walked in, "Rick, I think it's time for you to leave."

Stetler smirked, looking back to Eric and Calleigh then to Horatio, "my supervisor will contact you sometime later today. "

Horatio nodded, "I look forward to it." He glanced towards Eric and Calleigh, "why don't the two of you head home so I can get paperwork finished and come back tomorrow."

Stetler quirked an eyebrow but Eric was more than happy to stand up and pull Calleigh out of the room as fast as possible, practically running down the hall and out of the building before anyone could see them. And they were partly successful, though Ryan did notice the two sprinting for freedom, he was certain all they were concerned about was getting the hell out of there. Not only was it embarrassing having your co workers be forced to have intrusive thoughts about two other close coworkers and friends, but now the entire _department_ knew the situation and now _they_ were probably having intrusive thoughts about the two, and part of Calleigh wanted to transfer to Broward or Monroe or _even_ Palm Beach County if it meant she wouldn't feel like she was being watched under a microscope whenever Eric was in a 5 mile radius of her.

Eric on the other hand wasn't nearly as embarrassed as she was, granted, he still felt a bit uncomfortable, but regardless he knew -okay more so _hoped_ \- that it would pass and things would go back to normal in a week or two. Again, they both drove separate cars but agreed to meet at Eric's considering 1)Calleigh's hallway was still a crime scene, and 2)both Walter and Natalia were still there processing, and they wanted to avoid everyone associated with the MDPD for as long as possible.

And when they'd finally made it to the safety of Eric's apartment, Calleigh practically fell on his couch and curled into a ball, still completely mortified at the situation, but now _actually_ showing it in the privacy of Eric's home rather than remaining stoic at the department. And she wasn't sure how long she could hold up the facade that she wasn't bothered by what happened, so she fell on the couch, Eric sitting next to her and rubbing her back in comforting circles.

"You okay?" Eric asked softly.

She snorted, "how are you not embarrassed?"

He chuckled, "I'm embarrassed but everyone has always expected this kind of thing from me. And Cal, I doubt the rest of the department knows any of the dirty details."

She sighed, moving to curl up next to Eric, resting her head on his shoulder, "they're questioning my professionalism."

He kissed her forehead, "professionalism isn't purified through a strainer, Calleigh. You can filter out human emotion to make a decision but you can't dispose of it."

He paused for a moment, continuing to run his fingers along her ribs, "The people in your personal life and work life may mix, but that doesn't mean it impacts how you do your job."

She was quiet, then she laced her hand with his, though didn't respond, trying to take everything in.

He left two more kisses on her forehead. Eric had figured something along the lines of Stetler and internal affairs may, perhaps, try and cause rift raft through their relationship, but he didn't see it being nearly this extreme. He figured he'd make some smart ass comment Eric could play off, but nope, now instead, not only is their relationship out and about through all Miami Police, but their sex life too. And, again, it's not like anyone knows dirty details, and when you find out two people are dating, you figure there's a sex life that follows along with it, but that common, _unspoken_ knowledge that comes when a relationship is outed is _entirely different_ than the full frontal picture of Eric and Calleigh and their naughty bits that is forced to come to mind when someone outright mentions it.

Intrusive thoughts that were now affecting everyone in the department. But Eric had only one intrusive thought as of current, well, more like an intrusive question, and now that their private life was being flashed everywhere, it was gnawing at the pit of his stomach. And he didn't want to ask it, but eventually it would inevitable.

"Do you regret us," he said it carefully, his words quiet, and when she took more than 10 seconds to respond, he immediately regretted asking, now genuinely afraid of the answer. But she must have picked up on his nervousness because she tilted her head and claimed his lips in a sweet, sweet kiss. Her lips moving with his in a sensual dance they'd perfected months and months ago. Delicate yet strong, it didn't matter how many kisses they'd shared, both her and Eric _still_ felt their hearts flutter with intense passion and need. His hand moved to tangle in her hair, now trailing whisper soft kissing along her jaw, making her breathing hitch.

God she loved this man, everyday with him felt like she was falling in love over and over again. How could she regret them? Their relationship? She'd never been this happy before, she'd never felt so safe and loved. How could she regret falling in love with her best friend? Especially when he peppered soft kisses along her jaw and neck? She could never regret pursuing a romantic relationship with Eric, nobody had ever treated her like he did. He sincerely took into account her feelings, he made her feel loved and beautiful and happy and no man had ever put her needs before his. No man had ever loved her like he did, looked at her with strong adoration like he did. Pursuing Eric was the best decision of her life. Protocol would never trump that.

"No," she breathed, as if her kiss wasn't enough of an answer, "I could never regret us."

He continued leaving warm kisses along her neck, "you're beautiful, you know that?"

And she never knew how to respond to such comments because no one had ever called her beautiful in the way he had. No one had ever called her beautiful and meant every single piece of her.

And when she gasped his name she pulled his lips back to hers, clutching the collar of his shirt and kissing him with the intensity of a blazing everglades fire, one that was always left to burn because it was natural and necessary for the health of the habitat.

"Eric," she murmured, "I don't care about protocol or Stetler or work or anything. You mean too much to me," she squeezed him tightly, her head on his chest, "I'd do anything to keep us together."

She didn't need him to respond, she didn't doubt his love for her for a second. He ghosted his fingertips along her spine, feeling each vertebra and the rise and fall of her breathing.

"It's all gonna work out," he murmured, his lips on the crown of her forehead, "H isn't gonna let anything happen."


	3. Chapter 3

The rumors of Eric and Calleigh and their frick frack adventures swam through the lab with a current so heavy anyone who'd attempt to get people to shut up about it would wind up drowning. It figures though, rumors of Eric and Calleigh and their romance shenanigans were already floating around the lab between DNA results and tox reports. But once the current situation hit the lab gossip column, the rape vic in Kendall and double homicide in Liberty City, weren't nearly as important as Eric and Calleigh and their shagging shenanigans.

Valera overhead a tech in Ballistics talking to the new AV guy who overheard a uniform at the precinct telling his buddy what he overheard from a heated conversation between Horatio and Stetler about Eric and Calleigh and off the clock extracurricular CSI training activities and a murder they weren't aware of occurring a few yards away.

But the game of telephone didn't stop with Kim in ballistics, no sir, that was only the beginning. There's no doubt that Eric Delko is an attractive man, and of course some of the level one nobody techs(and... every straight female and gay male in the lab) may have indulged in the idea of his potential sexual skill, but now that the notion that he was _so_ good you wouldn't even realize a murder was happening reached the ears of everyone in the lab(and frankly probably in the city of Miami), the Dade County Crime Lab was nothing short of high school locker room dirty talk.

So Valera first went to Travers, who said he wanted nothing to do with the scandal, though if you looked past his safety goggles and British civility, you could see he was just as curious as everyone else. But still, he was obviously clueless so Valera found herself hunting down Ryan. And though she may have spotted Natalia first, she purposely avoided her because she could only imagine her embarrassment regarding what other people were saying about her considering she and Eric had history.

After two laps around the lab she found Ryan in the break room, flipping through a report about the double homicide in Liberty City. Oh yea, he definitely had all the dirty details since he was the only one actually doing his job as a _crime scene_ investigator.

Honestly though, Valera didn't care much about the gossip as she did about if Eric and Calleigh were okay. She was curious, but it stemmed from worry for her fellow co workers; there was no insidious motive of any sort.

So when she plopped down in the chair across from Ryan, it was obvious what she wanted to know.

Before he had a chance to speak, she gave him an explanation, "I'm here as their friend."

"They told me not to talk about it," he replied.

"Who's they?"

"IAB, they don't want anyone who knows the actual story to contribute to whatever gossip is going around."

"Ryan," she gave her best worried look, "from a friend to a friend, are they at least going to be okay?"

He sighed and shrugged, "I honestly don't know. At first I thought Stetler was just being an ass, but the investigation has escalated far more than anyone, including Horatio, thought it would."

"What exactly..?"

Ryan glanced around the room before lowering his voice, "basically someone got killed in Cal's apartment outside in the hallway, but she didn't hear anything. Eric had spent the night and it was obvious that... well... you know, so Stetlers trying to pin it on them, even though the neighbors didn't hear anything either."

Valera shook her head with obvious disapproval, "let me know if there's anything I can do."


	4. Chapter 4

This time when Eric answered the door, untangling himself from a dead asleep Calleigh, he was smart enough to toss on a shirt and look through the peephole. When he saw Natalia he wasn't sure whether to be grateful or mortified or both. Having his and Calleigh's sex life flashed around the lab was already embarrassing enough, he didn't need Natalia and the elephant in the room of their past floating around his apartment while Calleigh was asleep in his shirt(and why is there something oddly comforting about wearing a man's, okay boyfriend's, shirt to bed?)

But she continued to knock, so he opened the door just a crack, "Natalia?"

"Let me in, I overheard Stetler."

He opened the door cautiously.

"I don't have much time I need to get back to the lab," she explained, rushing in. She looked around the living room, flustered, "where's Calleigh?"

Eric put his index finger over his lips, "she's asleep."

Natalia nodded, "right, listen," she turned her attention to rummaging through her purse, "I found this," she pulled out some crumpled pieces of paper, "It's his report to the review board, Horatio tossed it. Stetler's trying to get a subpoena to interview witnesses but Horatio is taking this straight to the DA to get Stetler off the case for tampering with evidence. He knows a lot more about the murder than the information we released."

Eric frowned with confusion, skimming through the report, "you think he's involved with the murder?"

Natalia was careful with her wording, because it would bring a new level of tension into the room, and there was already an immediate distrust since discovering she was the mole and had been leaking information to the feds. "I think someone in the lab snitched and is working with Stetler," she paused refusing to meet his eyes, "and _no_ it's not me and I don't think it has anything to do with the feds."

Eric's mouth tightened, the obvious distrust between Natalia and the rest of the lab was still swimming on the surface and had yet to be drowned out, though the direct mention of it was also uncomfortable.

"So you think Stetlers working with someone in the lab to set us up? There's no way he could have known I'd be with Calleigh, let alone have known I'd be here when a murder occurred."

"No, but I think he saw this as an opportunity," she went back to rummaging in her purse, "I followed him," she explained, "he went to the penitentiary," she paused pulling out another sheet of paper, "and met with Monica West."

Okay, now Delko was most definitely confused, "the old State Attorney? You're thinking he's doing her dirty work now that she's in jail?"

She nodded, "and he's paying off one of the techs too."

He flipped through some of the papers she handed him, "it sounds a little farfetched, even for Stetler."

She shrugged, "maybe, but look, I need to get back to the lab. I'll call you if I hear anything."

Eric glanced between her and the papers, "Thanks Natalia."

She let herself out while Eric thumbed through the report and made his way to the couch. He studied it for a good ten minutes, each paragraph making him more and more agitated. Though that quickly subsided when he felt a pair of arms cross over his chest.

"What's that?" Calleigh asked softly.

Eric sighed, "Natalia found Stetlers report and brought it over."

Calleigh furrowed her brows, taking a seat next to him on the couch, "what's it say?"

Again, another sigh, "basically that we are accountable for the murder in some form because we were breaking protocol, though how they are going to prove that is beyond me."

"I mean," Calleigh said resting her head on his shoulder, "what are they gonna do, search my apartment for biologicals?"

Eric closed his eyes and rested his head on top of hers, "oh god I hope not."

She laced her hands with his, "look, let's not stress about it right now alright?"

He tossed the report on the coffee table, "this is just... shitty."

She shrugged, "maybe, but it is kinda nice, having a day off."

He kissed the crown of her head and let his lips linger, "mhmm it is. We still didn't get off without seeing a dead body though."

She snickered quietly, "Eric, no CSI is _that_ lucky."

He smiled, "You need to get anything done today?"

She nudged him with a smirk, "why, you trying to get rid of me?"

"No," he tried disguising his chuckle with a scoff, "I just thought, you know, if you didn't need to do anything we could get that shower we missed this morning out of the way," his fingers traced the soft cotton the shirt- _his_ shirt- that swallowed her, down to the hem and met the silky skin of her midthigh.

Just at the touch of his skin to hers, she shivered slightly, which was perhaps ridiculous considering how many times she and Eric had exchanged touches like this, _including_ this morning when Tripp got a glimpse of more than he should have; but perhaps it wasn't considering every time she woke up with him she felt like she was falling in love all over again.

Jesus, had it really taken him almost losing his life for her to realize just how much she loved him? How much she'd always loved him? Why is it throughout life it takes a tragedy for someone to come to terms with the emotions they've had lingering deep inside? And god, she hated when these waves of realization washed over her because, even though he was right there with her, the concept that she'd been so close to losing him, and that she could easily lose him again, sat in the pit of her stomach and all she wanted to do was crawl inside him and get as close as she could, as if that would somehow take away the inevitable. Regardless, it gnaws at her, and she cherishes the moments like this, the soft moments with him and only him.

His voice is a low murmur that interrupts her thoughts, "where'd you go?"

She sighed softly, "just... thinking."

He smiled, his lips still pressed in her hair, taking in her warm vanilla scent that made him feel at home, "about?"

Her answer was simple, "you." It comes out a gentle whisper.

She felt his smile widen, "what about me? Good things I hope."

She rolled her eyes, "no, they're awful, repugnant things," her response was light and sarcastic, but she hadn't realized the accuracy of her answer until she said it outloud and the words reverberated in the air around them. And Eric could feel her mood shift.

He tilted her chin with his index finger, his now worrisome eyes meeting her distressed ones, "Calleigh?"

She shook her head and closed her eyes, feeling too vulnerable. But after all this, after all she's been through and _he's_ been through, she needed to be open, she owed him that much. It scared her, but that's the only way this was gonna work, so she had to let him in. Her love and adoration for him forever trumped that of her fear.

"I guess, I guess I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I almost lost you. And it's scary, for me. Because you mean so much to me and I hate that it took you getting shot and almost dying for me to realize how much I took you for granted. And the fact that I could lose you at any minute is still something I'm trying to process."

He frowned slightly, his forehead meeting hers, "I'm not going anywhere Cal."

"I know," she laid a soft kiss on his lips, "I guess the reality of death is a heavy weight to bear when it's in the context of those you care about."

Death is something you become immune to as a CSI, when you see it every day you don't realize what it actually means until it makes it's way into your own little world. And with Hagens death, she'd gotten a fresh dose of what death really meant, but it made her put up more walls, try to avoid the concept. Death is inevitable, but he'd taken his own life, and though Calleigh understood the impact of depression and the boiling point of suicide, his death wasn't one that was taken from him. And yes, she understood that he may have died long before he shot himself, but still he chose to take his life. Eric didn't choose to almost lose his.

Hagens death made her build walls, made her avoid the concept, because choosing to take your life is so so _so_ different than having it be stolen from you when you still have the will to live. So with Eric, it made her walls crumble, and she hated it. But she had him, right here, right now and she was beyond grateful for that. She cupped his cheek and sighed, her smile a sad but relieved one.

She closed her eyes and kissed him, the kind of kiss that leaves every nerve tingling, the kind of kiss that's slow and sensual and graceful, the kiss that's subtle and lust filled and often leads to some sort of confession.

She smiled, her eyes still closed and looped her arms loosely around his neck.

"I love you," she murmured against his lips, and those were three words that had the potential to change everything, three words she'd always been afraid of, three words she'd tried to save herself from saying, yet they came out smooth and it was so simple with him. And she felt ten pounds lighter and like she was walking on air, because she didn't for a second think it would be that easy

He caught her words with his mouth and kissed her, his one hand moving up to tangle in her hair, the other on her thigh, and he reciprocated her confession.

"You know I love you," he tilted so there foreheads were touching and noses were brushing, unintentional eskimo kisses, "you know I've always loved you."

And he was right, she did know. Even with the toothing, even with Natalia, she knew those weren't real. The toothing was to help cope with the loss of Speed, and Natalia was new and another pretty face that fell for the Delko charm. But still, she knew.

A knock on the door vibrated through the apartment, and Eric's eyes widened, annoyed but amused, "so much for a day off," he murmured.

She smiled, "you might wanna put on shirt."

At that he laughed, "you might wanna put on some pants."

"Come on," she smiled warmly, detaching herself from him and standing up, taking his hand and pulling him up with her.

"Here," she said, taking her shirt off like it was nothing and tossing it at him playfully, now standing in nothing but a pair of black boy short panties.

"Really Calleigh?" He scolded playfully.

Three more knocks vibrated through the apartment, "go," she urged with a playful smile, shooing him toward the door and walking toward the bedroom. He smirked and shook his head, pulling on his shirt; that was one of the many reasons he loved her.

Without skipping a beat he made sure she was hidden behind the walls of his bedroom before opening the door, too warmly apathetic to care and see who it was. He was greeted by Horatio, who offered a kind smile, "Eric."

"H," he said, not bothering to hide his obvious lovesick demeanor. Again, there was really no point to it.

"Where's Calleigh?"

He widened the door for him to come in, "she's uh, in the bathroom. What's up H?"

He stepped inside but not enough for Eric to close the door, "just wanted to let you know both you and Calleigh have been cleared."

"How'd that happen?"

"Natalia showed me the visitors log for the correctional facilities. Ryan made a call to Eric Sycks and the IAB supervisor didn't want to have to deal with the press releasing evidence of internal corruption."

Eric raised his eyebrows and frowned, though this time with approval, "that's really great," he did a 180 and smiled, "thanks H."

"The department also really doesn't want to have to go through the training and hiring process for two new CSI's, so as long as the two of you stay clear of crime scenes outside of work, there should be nothing to worry about," Horatio paused and smiled, putting his hand on Eric's shoulder, "And I've also been wanting this to happen for the past several years. I need to get back to the lab, where I expect to see the both of you tomorrow."

"Thanks again H."

"Don't thank me, thank Natalia, she's the one that dug up the dirt with Rick, I'll see you tomorrow."

With that Horatio smiled, did an about face, and made his way out into the hallway. Eric closed the door and turned around to find Calleigh, standing in the doorway of his bedroom smirking in nothing but the black boy shorts she'd left him in, with her arms across her chest, "Horatio said we're cleared?"

Eric's jaw fell at the sight of her, and though she'd been wearing(or lack thereof) that when Horatio knocked on the door, he hadn't really taken her in. But now, looking at her, her blonde locks cascading around her, the slight crimson that painted her cheeks which showed she was still a _tiny_ bit embarrassed being so exposed under his appreciative gaze. And her smirk, it was the smirk she wore when she knew she had the upper hand, that she was the one in control of the situation, and though she was absolutely stunning, it was the smirk that made Eric impossibly hard. That, and she was chewing on her lip, hint number two of her slight sheepishness, which, in retrospect didn't help neutralize the awestruck face he wore.

Still, even with the small bit of embarrassment, she was still Calleigh and still feisty and flirtatious.

She raised her eyebrows, "so... about that shower..."

He chuckled, though it was breathy and minute compared to the lust that filled his eyes. He approached her and ran a hand down the curve of her hip, "yea... shower..."

5 minutes later they were in the shower, moans of pleasure echoing through the water spray until the hot water ran out and turned to ice.

An hour later they were cocooned under the covers, spooned together, his back flush with hers nuzzling her hair. And it's funny, because this exact thing is what got them into this situation in the first place. But in all honesty, a job is a job. Either one of them could have transferred to Broward, despite the long commute, but even with that, they could take the tri-rail if they wanted to. They could have switched shifts, or switched departments, because they can work around the ridiculous regulations set up by the corporate office running them, but they can't work around their feelings for one another, not after refusing to acknowledge them for this long. Not after almost losing him. The concept of the department trying to regulate their relationship was not up for discussion; it wasn't going to happen. They'd already done enough of that themselves, which had been partially motivated by the no fraternization rule, but mainly because Calleigh couldn't bear losing Eric if they didn't work out.

He laid a soft kiss right below her ear, his eyes drooping shut, "love you Cal."

"Mhm," she stirred, lacing her hand with his, already half asleep, "I love you too, Eric."


End file.
